A Thing of Beauty
by Gemini-moon1
Summary: AF different world, all the characters many pairings. a look into their lives


Faith walked passed the fenced in basketball court on the way to school just like she did every morning. Long black pants and a tight but not to tight bright red shirt. She had gotten a tattoo on her left arm three days ago and she was finally able to take the bandage off to revel the thorn looking image. Hell she wasn't even sure what it was yet but she like it. She couldn't wait until school was out. Senior year was worst then the Junior year. She could just drop out but that didn't really set right in her mind.

She wanted at least a high school degree. It's not like she had anything else going for her. She heard someone whistle at her like someone did everyday. She'd usually flick them off or blow them a kiss depending on her mood. Today she just ignored them.

She looked straight a head and just kept walking. She saw a flash of blue from the side of her eye and new who it was. Everyday the kids who went to private school walked directly across the street and turned left where she turned right to the public school. Some people would call private school kids snobby but in this part of the city the public schools had gotten kind of violent. And most of the kids she knew that went to that school were pretty nice.

People who had even the slightest chance of sending their kids to a private school did. It wasn't like the two groups of kids hated each other. Everyone she knew had friends that went to private school. Everyone but her that is.

At the start of the year she started to notice one boy. He was tall, over six feet. He was lean but in a muscular way. He had medium dark hair that was always a little messy. He had brown eyes from what she could tell from a distance. He had to be her age, probably a senior. Very handsome. He had that dark mystery too him that people died for.

She didn't notice most people but she did notice him. The first day of the school year she noticed him walking across the street. She noticed he kept looking at her, even starring at her then he'd look away then look back.

She didn't get it at first. She had thought maybe her bra was showing or something. The next day he did the same thing. What was so interesting about her exactly? Never seen a girl before? Or did she just look too much like white trash. Maybe he was one of those rich snobs that laughed at her all the time when she was little, when….. No, she didn't want to even think about that.

She ignored him. Pretended that she didn't notice. She still pretended that she didn't notice…..but she did. She never let him see her look at him. She would usually slow her pace and let him walk farther ahead so she could get a better view.

What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she doing this? She didn't even know why. She just liked doing it. It was something she could do. Something like a game.

She saw a few girls start to show up. Wearing a similar uniform. They ran up to him and started talking to him. He had that slightly confused look on his face like he always did when they showed up.

'He has no idea what's going on.'

Faith thought to herself and smile. The girls were different. Two small blondes and a brunette that was medium tall. They all seemed to be that rich popular type

He always glanced at her even when one of them were with him. She smiled at that. She wished she had the guts to go over and talk to him.

Talk to him? About what? She didn't even know him. This was so stupid.

Angelus walked to school like he did every morning. most people called him Angel for short Senior year, finally. Unfortunately he could drive his car on the weekdays. No big deal. School really wasn't that far away. His fathers stupid punishment.

What the hell did he want from him? He got good grades, he was going to go to that fucking expensive college just like he wanted, ALWAYS just like he wanted. No one in the family argued with him except Angel himself.

He wished his mother would do something at least, but she was too busy shopping and making his little sister look like some kind of Barbie doll.

Walking hadn't been that bad. Now he enjoyed it. It was good exercise, and he got to see that girl every morning.

He had been walking down the street when he had seen her across from him. She had long dark brown hair and from this distance her eyes looked raven colored. Not black, raven. There was a pretty big difference between the two if you took the time to notice. She had a body like a sex goddess and her face was angelic. he was had always been big on mythic comparisons

He loved the way she looked. He didn't even know her. He wanted to though.

She didn't go to his school or any other private school; she never wore a uniform like at his school. Jacket white shirt and tie for boys, girls got a choice of wearing either skirt or pants, all colored blue. Every morning he watched her walk by. He watched her both flirt and brush off the males around her that gave her those lustful gazes.

He smiled loving her attitude.

She never noticed him though. Never gave him even a glance as far as he could tell. But then why should she? He probably looked just like another face in the crowd from where she was standing.

She didn't seem like any other girl he knew, not that he knew her. There were three girls that were around him constantly that he really didn't understand.

Darla, the small blonde. Seductive seeming almost ruthless in her own secret way with her secret smile.

Cordelia. That long haired brunette. Up front completely and flirted with him worse then Darla. Very up front. He had to smile.

Buffy. He might like her best. She was sweet and had a cute smile. He had thought about asking her out this year but then he saw 'that girl' that was always walking across the street. She just distracted him.

It's not like he was totally obsessed, with her or anything. Even though he did have an obsessive nature. He just had a tendency to compare other girls to her.

Why the hell was he doing this? She'd probably turn out to be a real bitch if he meet her, but then there was always that hopeful maybe in the back of his mind.

Still what was he going to say to her? 'Oh hi! You don't know me but I watch you every morning, to the point where sometimes I don't even blink.

Yeah that would go great. Until she screamed and kicked in the face and ran off like any sane person would do.

He looked over. There she was again. Tall dark haired looking straight ahead not paying attention to anything.

He just looked at her. He couldn't believe she had never noticed him starring.

He heard foots steps behind him picking up speed as they went someone was coming up behind him.

"Hey Angel!"

He looked to see Buffy and Darla and Cordelia. Together? They seemed to hate each other. Seeing them together was a shock.

"Hey." He said simply. He never knew what to say to them. He didn't fully understand any of them. He did like them but……

"What ya doing walking school again?" Darla asked in that sweet voice she made.

"I'm not aloud to drive and I'm too close to take the bus."

"I could give you a ride. I just got a new car." Cordelia said with that beautiful smile only she could make. Darla seemed to glare at her. Buffy rolled her eyes slightly.

Angel turned his head to see the mystery girl across the street. She still hadn't looked over. He could hear Darla and Cordelia talking probably arguing in the back ground.

He didn't notice that Buffy followed his gaze across the street and that she kept looking between him and the girl. If he had, things might have never turned out they way they were going to.

"Morning Buffy!" Willow said smiling as her usual greeting.

"Hey, Will." Buffy said giving a weak smile.

"What's wrong?" she asked sensing something wrong with her friend.

"Nothing."

"Buffy…"

"Okay. It's Angel."

"I thought he was going to ask you out."

"So did I. At least that's what I was hoping. But now there's this girl…"

"Darla or Cordelia?"

"Neither. There was this girl he kept….looking at when we were walking to school this morning, and don't get all happy Cordelia and Darla were there too."

"Well, maybe it's not what you think. Who was she?"

"I don't know. I don't think she goes to our school. At least she didn't look like it, and some one like her would definitely attract attention."

"Why is she….pretty?"

"Yes."

"You are beautiful. You know that don't you? You've had to see the way guys stare at you." Willow said giving her friend a comforting and amused smile.

"I know. But her, I think it was her eyes." Buffy said recalling the unusual total blackness. She felt a hand go on her shoulder.

She looked over to see Xander now standing between her and Willow.

"Whose eyes Buff?" He said greeting them with that usual happy smile.

"Just some girl." Willow piped in looking at him those attention wanting eyes that Xander never seemed to notice.

"Well now you got my interest."

"Some girl and Angel."

"And you just lost it completely."

Buffy rolled her eyes. She never understood why he got so uptight about him.

"What is it with you and Angel?"

"I don't even know. The guy just irks me the wrong way." Xander thinking of Angel's smile. Girls loved it. It just freaked him out. Like there was some kind of darkness in him just waiting to jump out and rip your face off.

"So are you guys going to the party tonight?"

"What party?" they both asked him confused.

"Queen Cordelia is throwing a celebration of that fateful day 18 years ago when she crawled out of the swamp and began to belittle the world around her."

"You WANT to go to Cordelia's party?" Buffy asked shocked.

"Well not to celebrate Cordelia's birth but the whole school is going to be there. No presents needed. No supervision and we get the whole first floor of a mansion and parts of the second to avoid people we hate."

"Do you honestly think she let us be there." Asked Willow still confused.

"Yeah. Apparently she wants EVERYONE to show up. To show off her popularity, the things she can do and something about 'showing those two blonde losers he likes me best."

"Me and Darla." Buffy said as a statement. "Wait? You mean Angel's going to be there? We're going."

"What!" Willow looked over still not sure about this.

"Come on I can't not go and let her flirt with Angel the whole night."

"Thought that would get your attention." Xander said once more a smile on his face.

"Fine. I'll go but don't expect me to have a good time."

"That's the spirit Will."

"Darn right." She said with a smile.

"Hey Faith!"

Faith looked up from the book she was reading. Yeah she read. Not that many people would think that about her. It was Dracula. She always loved the whole story. The only thing she didn't like was that all the women seemed so squally in the book. But that's the way women were seen at the time. She hated that.

She looked over at Lacy. Faith's on again off again friend. They liked talking to each other but if things got tuff Lucy would take off in a second.

Lucy with doe brown eyes and straight dyed blonde hair looked great all the time. People called her tramp but Faith knew better. She only slept with her idiot boyfriend, who liked to talk.

She did have a good friend once. Kendra. A beautiful girl with creamy African skin that had made her eyes look that much more seductive and powerful.

They had been best friends. Two years ago she had been walking down the street when some guy had mugged and stabbed her. They caught the guy and sent him to jail for the rest of his life but that didn't bring Kendra back.

"What is it Lucy?" Faith said looking at her.

"Party tonight!"

Faith raised an eye brow to show interest. She knew better to be careful though. The last time had gone to one of these parties she'd almost gotten rapped.

"Where?"

"At some mansion."

"You know someone who lives in a mansion?" Faith thinking this was going to be another party crashing trip.

"No. But Tony has a friend who goes to that private school who invited him who invited me and now I'm inviting you. Come one a whole bunch of us are going."

"Okay why not?" Hey it was either that or stay home and have her mother scream at her.

Angel looked around the room from where he was sitting. His best friend Gunn had just walked off with some girl named Gwen. Now he was alone. He had seen Cordelia walking toward him and Darla coming from a different angle and he quickly ducked into the ever growing and took off. He finally lost them and could breath for a little while.

He didn't want to touch any of the drinks here. He knew enough of these people to know it had been spiked. The last time he'd come home drunk his father had beaten him so hard that he could get out of bed for a week.

That was one trip he's rather not take again. A pounding head and aching body. Plus there was his obsessive attitude toward things.

She felt someone sit next to him. He looked over and smiled to see Buffy looking at him smiling. He smiled back.

"Hi Angel."

"Hey Buffy. What's up?"

"Nothing just wanted to talk to you for a while."

"Okay." He said Buffy's smile growing. "I didn't think I'd see you here. I never thought that you and Cordelia got along that well."

"Yeah, well everyone else was going and I didn't feel like being left out."

"I'm glad you came." Angel said honestly. Without out her he'd be here alone and bored. They kept talking for a while and he was enjoying himself.

"So..." She asked suddenly. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"Well. Not exactly." Maybe he should ask her out. That was what she was hinting at wasn't it? Should he ask?

"So what about you?"

"Nope. No one." She said smiling.

Suddenly there was someone at the table next to then he looked to see Buffy's friend Xander.

"Hey Buff what's up?" he said not saying anything to Angel.

He looked at Xander. He never really liked Xander. It wasn't like he hated him or anything. He just annoyed him.

""Hey Xander." Buffy said a little quiet. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Riley?" She said in an odd voice smile now looking a little forced.

"Riley got distracted by some girl he went to talk too. He's over there." He said with a slight point. Angel wouldn't have looked over except Buffy's eyes widen.

"Oh, yeah. I've seen her around."

What's wrong with her? He turned and looked over. He saw Riley, the school's jock star. He was walking away looking a little disappointed. He looked a little over and his eyes meet deep black eyes.

It was her, that girl. She was here. She looked right at him and gave him a small smile of hello. Then turned and started to walk away. The back of her shirt was cut open revealing her back. But was mostly covered with long blackish hair.

She was here. And she saw him and noticed him.

"Uh, Buffy I have to go."

He quickly got up and started walking in the direction that she had just disappeared into.

Buffy turned to Xander with a look of complete anger and irritation. Willow walked over to her two friends with a smile until she noticed the look on Buffy's face.

"What's wrong now?"

"Angel was about to ask me out when Xander decided to come over and point out the good looking girl on the opposite side of the room." Buffy said putting her drink down with a loud clunk.

"Xander."

"Well I didn't know! What am I supposed to read your mind?"

"You should have just left me alone."

Buffy got up and walked away and Xander followed.

Willow looked at her friends leave. Great. Alone again. She turned around and run right into someone.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"No it's okay it was my fault."

"No really." Willow said looking up. "My names Willow."

"My name is Tara."

Darla looked around for Angel. Gone again. Perfect. At least that bitch Cordelia hadn't gotten to him yet. She'd seen her with that flaky Harmony girl. And Buffy was with loser Xander.

Where was he? Damn it there were so many people her.

Why did Chase have to invite everyone? A fourth on these kids didn't even go to their school.

She gave up and walked over toward Luke and Thomas who were standing next to the red drinks.

Faith walked into the mansion slowly drifting behind her friends until they had walked away completely. They wouldn't notice.

She looked around and watched the people look at her. Maybe this was a bad idea. She could always leave.

Yeah. And go where exactly. Her mom had a guy over and she'd rather not walk into the house and find the two of them having sex on the living room couch.

She looked over to see a guy next to her.

"Hi." He said sweetly. Tall, very well muscled. He had sandy brown hair and expressive eyes. Definitely a jock by what she could tell.

"Hey." She said giving a small smile she knew males loved.

"Great party."

"I wouldn't know just got here."

"You don't look familiar, what class are you in?"

"I don't go to your school. I don't even know the girl throwing this thing. I was invited by a friend who goes to your school."

"Really? Who?" he said sit smiling obviously wanting her to talk more.

Faith didn't know what to do for a moment. She didn't know anyone. She had already lied not wanting him to think she was just crashing the party.

"There name is…."

"Hey Riley! You forgot this." Said a boy with dark hair and eyes walking over and handing Riley his drink.

"Thanks Xander. I was just talking to…..?"

"Faith."

"Faith. This is Xander."

"Hey pretty lady." He said in a joking nature that made her smile. "Thought I might come over and talk to you two seeing as Buff is busy with angel eyes."

She saw Riley look over at one of the tables and her gaze followed.

She didn't know them but she recognized the two of them right away.

One was her tall dark handsome stranger and the other was one of the blondes he was always talking to.

"A Xander could you go over and.."

"Yeah. I know. Divide and conquer." He left.

"So where were we."

"Actually I should go meet my friend."

"Oh. That's fine see ya later."

As he walked away Faith looked back to the table and looked right into two deep brown expressive eyes. Her stranger.

She gave him small shy seductive smiled then turned away. She wasn't going to stand there and just stare at him like an idiot. Besides he was with some one right now. He wasn't going to stand up and go after her or anything.

Angel looked around the crowded living room and den. Didn't see her. He had to find her. If he didn't talk to her tonight he'd never get to. True he could just walk over and talk to her one morning but that wasn't going to happen.

He couldn't explain it. Doing this right now just felt right. It felt like fate.

He looked through two more rooms. Plenty of people but no dark eyed girl. She was gone.

He gave up and walked the seconded floor there were still people around but not as many. The music was muffled and everyone here was pretty much just sitting on the couches and chairs talking and eating.

He sat down on an empty couch.

"Hey. Something bothering you?"

Angel looked up in the direction the deep feminine voice had come from. Right next to him stood the mystery girl. Her hands behind her back and looking at him with some interest.

"Uhhhhh….no I'm not. No. I mean no. Nothings really bothering me." He said stuttering. He couldn't believe she was right here in front of him. She looked much more beautiful up close, if you believed that was possible.

Faith looked at him. She smiled when he stuttered. She loved it when men stuttered. She knew right then that he thought she was pretty. Hell, she was surprised he didn't start drooling with the eyes popping out and howling like the cartoon wolf.

"You sure you're okay?" she said amused with a smile on her face.

"Yeah. I just don't really have anything to do."

"Well, I could talk to you for a while." She said right out.

"Sure."

She sat next to him still smiling.

Buffy walked around searching for Angel. Where had he gone off to? She had to find him.

""Hey Buffy!" she turned around to see Riley. Now what?

"Hi." Buffy said simply hoping not to start a conversation.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just looking for someone."

"I could help you."

Buffy started to get annoyed. All she wanted to do was find Angel not wait here talking to Riley, but here he was.

"I'm looking for Angel." She didn't see Riley frown.

"Why?"

"Why not? I want to talk to him about something."

"Well he's over there." He said pointing to a couch nearby. On it was Angel sitting with the girl from before. "He's with Faith." Riley said to answer her silence.

"You now her?" Buffy said turning around quickly.

"Well I just meet her."

"What do you know about her?" Buffy asked now probing for information.

"Her name's Faith….uh….she doesn't go to our school and she's here with a friend."

"And?"

"That's…..pretty much it."

Buffy turned her head back to Angel.

Angel starred at Faith contentedly while she talked. They weren't talking about something special. Just everyday stuff you say to a stranger when you first meet, but he loved it anyway.

"Hey Angel!" He turned his head slightly to see Buffy walking toward them.

"Hi Buffy." He said reluctantly turning away. "This is Faith."

There was a short silence.

"You all go to the same school?" Faith said not feeling at all uncomfortable.

"Yeah." Buffy said simply looking Faith up and down. "Hey, me and some friends are going to go out to eat tomorrow. You want to come?"

"I'll go. Faith? You want to go?"

Faith was thrown back for a minuet. She didn't think that Buffy's question was directed at her.

"Sure."

"Great." Angel said with a smile, completely oblivious to Buffy's stare. "Where is it?" He asked Buffy.

"Just the restaurant over on the corner of main, were eating around one." Buffy said forcing a smile.

"Okay. Faith, I could pick you up at your house around then."

"No." Faith said suddenly. She really didn't want any of these people to know where she lived. What if her mother was out? "I'll just meet you there."

"Oh. Okay." Angel said a little disappointed but he hid it well enough. He wasn't entirely sure she was going to show up. She did just meet him them after all. Why would she want to go anywhere with him anyway?

"I'll see you guys there." Faith said getting up and walking away.

"So…" Buffy started. "How long have you known Faith?"

"I just meet her today."

"Today?" Buffy said a little surprised.

"Well, I've seen her around." Angel said turning his attention to Buffy. "But…I don't know. There's just something about her." He said with a smile. "Something special, you can feel it can't you?"

Buffy just stared. Angel wasn't a person who often expressed his feelings. He looked like he was half dreaming. Great and now she would get to have lunch with both of them tomorrow. Great….


End file.
